Monday, March 26, 2012

The Desert Hawk

Title: The Desert Hawk

Author: Barbara Hehner

Publisher: Harper Trophy Canada

I picked this book up on the advice of Jon Bius of agapemodels.com and was very glad I did. This slim volume is a biography of James "Stocky" Edwards and his time in the RCAF flying Kittyhawks, Spitfires, and Tempests targeted to young readers. While not as expansive as Edward's autobiography "Kittyhawk Pilot" this is a quick, breezy, and fun read even for adults. (As it is a children's book, most adults should be able to finish it in one sitting.) Stocky served with the RAF in the Desert Air Force and the majority of the book focuses on his time in Kittyhawks, though his time on Spitfires is also covered. (Sadly the Tempest only gets a mention in passing.) About the only flaw I found with the book is that a photo caption of Mr. Edwards in front of a group of Tiger Moths is mis-captioned as being in front of Harvards. (NEVER misidentify the Harvard!) I also wish the author had spent a little more time on Stocky's post war exploits flying Vampires and Sabres. Highly recommend to young readers interested in the RCAF, as well as their parents too.

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About Me

An expat Canadian now living in Seattle, Jim builds RCAF, RCN, US Navy, and Commonwealth aircraft in 1/72 scale. Jim is an avid reader and a sometimes writer, a fan of rock, folk, and jam bands, and a private pilot. When he’s not exploring one of the many museums, parks, and libraries of Puget Sound with his wife and their daughter, Jim is a practicing attorney.